PeaceHealth Mission and Values Award recipient – Linda Coordes
A caregiver is known for living the Value of Social Justice by being an advocate for the vulnerable and voiceless
Linda Coordes, a medical social worker at PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center in Longview, Washington, tenaciously watches out for the well-being of patients — especially those who are vulnerable.
One recent example involved a patient who arrived in the Emergency Department. The patient’s explanation for her injuries didn’t add up, which caused sincere concern among the doctors and other ED staff. They asked the patient to return to the hospital for additional evaluation. The patient’s imaging report showed multiple broken ribs.
The patient was admitted to the hospital, and Linda became part of her care team. Following normal protocols, Linda called Adult Protective Services to make sure it was going to be safe for the patient to go home with the family member who brought her.
It wasn’t going to be safe. APS called to confirm Linda’s suspicions that the patient wasn’t safe — that she was fearful and was being physically and emotionally abused—kept against her will and barred from contacting other members of her family.
Linda worked for days on a safe discharge plan.
On a hunch, she called APS in a state where the patient had previously lived. The patient had been listed as a “missing person” — essentially abducted and brought to Washington years ago.
This was the breakthrough Linda was hoping for. She spoke with the patient’s other adult children who were eager for their mother’s return to her true home.
An email sent later expressed gratitude for Linda and other caregivers who “finally brought peace to Mama’s world. You did something in another state and not knowing us, took these steps, I believe, because of a faith and patience that surpasses all human understanding. For now, we share our heartfelt gratitude for awakening to another day of having Mama with us again.”
Linda’s persistence on this patient’s behalf was extraordinary, but it was just one demonstration of how she lives the Value of Social Justice—advocating for the vulnerable and voiceless.
Linda is PeaceHealth’s 2022 systemwide Overall Mission and Values Award recipient. These awards recognize inspiring caregivers who are living PeaceHealth’s Mission and Values of Social Justice, Stewardship, Respect and Collaboration, every day.
Learn more about PeaceHealth’s other 2022 systemwide Mission and Values Awards honorees:
- Respect: Mary Ann Pahang, PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center
- Collaboration: Debbie Ulbricht, PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center, University District
- Social Justice: Khanh Trinh, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center
- Stewardship: Tricia Wooden, MD, PeaceHealth Medical Group, Vancouver
